New Home Visiting Program Helps Parents of Young Children

The new Cache County Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visit program is currently enrolling families for a free service that promotes family resilience and healthy child development.

The Cache County MEICHV (pronounced Cache County MicVee) Program offers friendly home visits, family connection groups and access to helpful resources throughout the community. It is for families with children from pregnancy up to age 6, or entry into kindergarten.

“It benefits families in general, in child development and positive parenting,” said Tressa Johnston, the program’s administrator. “We use the Parents as Teachers model, which is an evidence-based curriculum.”

The focus is on family wellbeing, supporting both parents and children through those early years of child development.

“It’s about empowering parents with knowledge, helping them make an informed decision about what is best for them,” Johnston said.

The program strengthens families through guiding parents on developmental changes and parenting strategies. If a child needs more developmental support, they will be referred to other community organizations and resources.

MEICHV also offers a Family Connection Group, or a monthly gathering where the whole family is welcome to participate. These sessions include fun family and child activities, presentations on specialized learning topics, and opportunities to meet and connect with other families. Additionally, these groups provide valuable resources and connections to support families within the local community, fostering a sense of belonging and shared experience.

The program supports a wide variety of families, as long as they have one child in the home who is under the age of 6. These could include first-time parents, military families, foster or temporary caregivers, and families of infants with low birth weight. This is not a comprehensive list of families who qualify, so those interested should visit the Cache County MIECHV website.

“Having something research-backed and evidence-based helps them build their family,” Johnston said. “It supports child development and helps them make sure their children are ready for school. We all wonder how to balance family and work, school and family. This will help.”

Cache County’s MIECHV is part of the Institute for Disability Research, Policy & Practice, located within the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services at Utah State University. It is funded through the federal Maternal and Child Health Bureau.

To find out more and register, visit the Cache County MIECHV website.